The blood essence spear pierced through heaven and earth.
The crimson glow punctured a hole in the thunderclouds.
This action seemed to enrage the thunderclouds, causing the seemingly subsiding lightning tribulation to swell again.
Xu Yuan didn't pay attention to the changes in the thunderclouds but instead carefully reflected on the sensations he felt after thrusting the spear into the clouds.
"Is this the key to hundred-thousand-year soul beasts?"
To verify his feelings, he continued thrusting his spear.
Spear after spear, all aimed at the clouds.
He ignored the descending pillars of lightning and directly targeted the source where the lightning tribulation initially formed.
"The fluctuations of the laws are so clear."
In addition, Xu Yuan felt that he could also perceive something.
"And these concentrated laws are related to spirit and stars."
It was truly a miracle.
Xu Yuan didn't know how the mechanism of the lightning tribulation was generated, but this tribulation was undoubtedly a reward for soul beasts.
Unlike Heavenly Tribulations, which were meant to annihilate soul beasts.
This lightning tribulation was not only a test for hundred-thousand-year soul beasts but also a reward. The thunderclouds nurturing the tribulation had noticeable fluctuations of laws, and these tribulations would also drive some fluctuations of laws into the bodies of soul beasts.
Thunder represented destructive power.
But at the same time, its penetrative power made it the best carrier.
Using thunder to carry the fluctuations of laws, penetrating every aspect of the soul beast's body.
While destroying, it also integrated new law fluctuations into the rebirth of the entire flesh and blood.
"The person who invented the lightning tribulation is truly a genius."
Thinking of this, Xu Yuan suddenly felt an urge to try it himself.
He hadn't forgotten that idea he conceived long ago.
Back then, Feng Wuyu completed his Heaven Forging with a method unprecedented by anyone, fusing himself with the Heaven Forged metal being forged, thereby welcoming the descent of the Heaven Forging lightning tribulation.
At that time, Xu Yuan thought about using this method to draw down the thunder to forge metal. According to the rules of the lightning tribulation, the tribulation itself would permeate every corner of the metal. As long as it could withstand the power of the tribulation, then the tribulation itself would be quenching the metal, making it a naturally optimal quenching method under the guidance of laws. The blacksmith and the Heaven Forged metal fused together to undergo quenching; thus, if they could withstand the power of the tribulation, then theoretically, the path and manner of the lightning coursing through their bodies might be a natural method of tempering the body with lightning.
Unfortunately, he had not yet become a divine craftsman and lacked the confidence to try, so he had never had the chance to verify this conjecture.
Now, seeing the lightning tribulation triggered by the advancement of the Evil Eye Tyrant, he suddenly felt the urge to try.
"The first soul ring of the Heavenly Origin Brush is strictly speaking a pure soul ring, at most having innate Five Elements runes as a framework, so it didn't trigger a lightning tribulation back then. However, the Evil Eye Tyrant is an alternative life form, so it still brought down a lightning tribulation. Moreover, I have four other spirit souls, potentially giving me five experiences with lightning tribulations."
If Xu Yuan's guess was correct, carefully experiencing the lightning tribulation coursing through his body could develop what was called the Thunder Quenching Method. He must seize these five opportunities well.
After all, even if he could later upgrade his spirit souls to ferocious beast levels, heavenly tribulations might not be suitable for him to do so.
Lightning tribulations and heavenly tribulations were completely opposite mechanisms.
With the desire to try, the next step was naturally to put it into action.
Xu Yuan looked up at the endless thunderclouds without any fear.
"Although the conditions are different from when Elder Feng underwent the Heaven Forging lightning tribulation—I don't have Heaven Forged metal fused—but the target of this lightning isn't metal either; it's a spirit soul, one that has contracted with me, fused with me, and is even more profound than nascent Heaven Forged metal!"
Theoretically, Xu Yuan's current situation was even more reliable than that Heaven Forged metal.
If that was the case, then what was there to hesitate about!
Xu Yuan let out a long cry, holding his spear and flying into the air.
Around various parts of his body, a misty glow enveloped him, completing the fusion of a set of Battle Armor.
Two-word Battle Armor!
After such a long time, he finally upgraded his Battle Armor.
Unfortunately, he had once promised to upgrade his Battle Armor sooner rather than later, unlike when he had just completed his One-word Battle Armor, which was ready for upgrade to Two-word Battle Armor.
However, he still hadn't fulfilled his promise.
There was no way around it; from the completion of his One-word Battle Armor to now finishing his Two-word Battle Armor, it had only been a short year and a half.
That's right, just a year and a half.
When his One-word Battle Armor debuted, Xu Yuan was only sixteen and a half years old. Now, a year and a half later, he had just turned eighteen and completed the upgrade to Two-word Battle Armor.
In a year and a half, he had advanced from level fifty-nine to seventy, and looking at the hundred-thousand-year Evil Eye Tyrant currently advancing, he felt that his soul power wouldn't stop at level seventy-one after fusing with this spirit soul.
So, who could have imagined that?
A guaranteed twelve-level increase in a year and a half!
Anyone would have to admit it was terrifying.
Considering this, it was quite commendable that Xu Yuan managed to complete his Two-word Battle Armor before truly absorbing the seventh ring.
His newly completed Two-word Battle Armor wasn't named yet, mainly because Xu Yuan himself was somewhat indecisive.
He excelled in too many things.
Of course, from the very beginning of his cultivation, he decided to walk the path of the ultimate Weapon Martial Soul.
This point had never changed.
After all, no matter how suitable his Brain Martial Soul was for spiritual power cultivation or how extraordinary his talent in spiritual power was, it was still a path others had walked and could catch up to.
Encountering Gu Yue at the Spirit Pagoda, Xu Yuan faintly sensed the powerful, latent spiritual power emanating from her.
Perhaps she hadn't reached the Spirit Domain realm, but she definitely had high-level Spirit Abyss realm spiritual power.
And she was the reincarnation of the Silver Dragon King; the Spirit Domain and Divine Origin realms held no secrets for her—once she accumulated enough, she could break through.
How could Xu Yuan possibly catch up?
However, staying unlagged behind was still possible.
After all, the advantages Xu Yuan accumulated in the early stages were sufficiently thick.
The ultimate Weapon Martial Soul achieved the 'Ultimate'.
Therefore, without a doubt, Xu Yuan would carve the word 'Ultimate' on his Battle Armor.
Only the current 'Ultimate' hadn't reached the standard, so the second character couldn't be added yet.
For now, Xu Yuan hadn't decided what the second character should be.
What he excelled at most right now was spiritual power, but surely he couldn't name his Battle Armor 'Yuan Shen' (Primordial Spirit), right?
(T/N: 'Yuan Shen' can also mean 'Original God'. The same characters, 原神, in Japanese is pronounced 'Genshin' as in 'Genshin Impact)
Fused with his Two-word Battle Armor, Xu Yuan directly rushed to the top of the Evil Eye Tyrant.
Above the enormous eye, Xu Yuan's blood essence surged, expanding the range of his Blood Flame to a full fifty meters, making it quite conspicuous against the massive body of the Evil Eye Tyrant.
Columns of lightning poured down, and Xu Yuan directly intercepted a quarter of the thunder power.
The thunder power passed through the Blood Flame, shrinking the flame slightly, but the Blood Power became even more condensed, then entered his body.
The thunder power coursed through his body.
"Fourth Soul Skill, Life Flame!"
The destructive power of the thunder was astonishing. Even with Xu Yuan shielding himself with Blood Essence, the cellular tissues inside his body were rapidly destroyed by the power of the tribulation.
Back then, Feng Wuyu did not comprehensively accept anti-tribulation like Xu Yuan; Feng Wuyu had no intention of experiencing the so-called natural thunder quenching method. Back then, he almost completely eradicated the thunder power within his body, so it seemed he had suffered no harm.
But now, Xu Yuan was much worse off.
Cells inside his body were destroyed, blood flowed everywhere.
However, the Life Flame ignited, and dense vitality permeated every corner of his body. Destroyed cells regenerated and absorbed the law fluctuations from the thunder power, reshaping his body.
"Is this the feeling of sublimation?"
Experiencing this transformation of rebirth, Xu Yuan couldn't help but feel genuine joy from the bottom of his heart.
Even amidst this endless joy, he didn't forget his main task.
He immersed himself in the law fluctuations contained in the thunder power, sensing these laws. Above his sea of spirit, the Starry Sky Myriad Phantasm Map also began operating, resonating with the rule fluctuations related to stars inside Xu Yuan's body.
The lightning tribulation lasted for ten days and ten nights.
Xu Yuan and the Evil Eye Tyrant were struck by the tribulation for ten days and ten nights.
Actually, the Evil Eye Tyrant's tribulation originally only lasted about three days, but due to Xu Yuan's involvement, the energy range gathered by the thunderclouds expanded, giving them more time.
As the tribulation dissipated, Xu Yuan still felt unsatisfied.
But looking at the clear sky above the Thunder Fall Valley, he could only suppress his dissatisfaction.
The valley's thunder elemental power had been completely depleted. What else was there to be unsatisfied about?
Xu Yuan sat cross-legged directly above the eye of the Evil Eye Tyrant, digesting the insights he had just gained.
Outside his body, rings of soul rings appeared.
Black, black, black, black, black, black.
The six soul rings of the Brain Martial Soul were arranged in sequence, with stars seemingly flowing and thunder power circulating within the pitch-black soul rings.
However, these were illusions; the actual color of the soul rings was pure black.
Outside the six soul rings, a new soul ring was forming.
Blood-red energy converged, gradually forming a halo-like silhouette. The silhouette solidified and transformed into a soul ring.
As the soul ring fully fused, Xu Yuan's soul power began to surge.
Boom!
Seventy-first level!
Seventy-second level!
Seventy-third level!
In an instant, fusing this hundred-thousand-year soul ring gave Xu Yuan a boost of five soul levels, propelling him to seventy-five levels!
"Seventy-five levels!"
Comparatively speaking, a hundred-thousand-year soul ring indeed provided nearly this level of enhancement.
And the fact that the spirit soul, the Evil Eye Tyrant, could provide such a significant boost to Xu Yuan was largely due to the recent tribulation.
During the tribulation, the residual thunder power within it, along with the stellar power drawn down over these ten days through resonance with the stars, was abundant. Additionally, there was the stellar energy Xu Yuan had not fully absorbed previously, all of which was now absorbed by Xu Yuan using the Great Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique, converting it into soul power.
"Absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring at level eighty or ninety won't provide such a significant boost."
Xu Yuan was very clear about this.
One time was enough.
Moreover, due to this feedback, Xu Yuan would have to hurry to upgrade his Three-word Battle Armor.
"Sigh, this is the trouble of happiness."
His soul power was already at seventy-five levels, and he would return to the Blood God Legion next. It was not hard to imagine that his soul power would experience rapid growth again.
Now Xu Yuan couldn't even guarantee that he could complete his Three-word Battle Armor before reaching Soul Emperor.
He could only say that he would try his best to complete upgrading his Three-word Battle Armor before advancing to Title Douluo.
Curious, Xu Yuan felt his seventh soul skill.
The Martial Soul True Body was a watershed for every soul master's cultivation.
Before level fifty, soul power was most deeply associated with the body; between levels fifty and seventy, it supplemented the connection with spiritual power. After seventy levels, the appearance of the Martial Soul True Body intertwined and tightly bound the three elements together.
Cultivation after seventy levels, even if the soul master didn't deliberately pursue it, would simultaneously improve spirit and body while cultivating soul power.
"Let me see what my Brain Martial Soul's True Body looks like."
As he felt it, Xu Yuan also revealed an enlightened expression.
"Not a big-headed baby."
The existence form of the Martial Soul True Body was related not only to the martial soul itself but also to the soul master's cultivation.
Just like Oscar from twenty thousand years ago, whose Sausage Martial Soul's True Body was a Golden Fly—the manifestation of the True Body was merely a better way to enhance the soul master's abilities.
The cultivation direction of Xu Yuan's Brain Martial Soul had undoubtedly always been the Dream Space and spiritual power cultivation. In terms of spiritual power cultivation, he used the Starry Sky Contemplation Method as the fundamental practice, with the Stellar Picture as the core.
Therefore, his Brain Martial Soul's True Body also combined these two aspects.
Xu Yuan took a deep breath, preparing to try out the effects of the Martial Soul True Body.
Personal experimentation was certainly more direct than mere perception.
Among the seven soul rings, the blood-red soul ring on the outermost edge flickered.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul True Body!"
Xu Yuan's spiritual power began to spread.
Soon, his spiritual power covered the entire Thunder Fall Valley.
A vast picture of the starry sky emerged.
At this moment, it was as if his brain directly transformed into a stellar domain.
Each star appeared both illusory and real, and each star resembled a pair of eyes, deep and boundless.
At this moment, if observed from outside Xu Yuan's entire domain, one would find that although the shape of the domain was normal, it gave the illusion that it was a giant brain.
"Within this entire domain, all my soul skills can receive a hundred percent boost, and there are no restrictions on the use of mental-type soul skills. Within the domain, I am the master."
Xu Yuan mobilized the entire domain's power and found that the original ambient primal energy in the domain could also be used as a force for his practical mental-type soul skills.
"Not only that, my domain here is not just a stellar domain but also possesses illusory qualities."
The Dream Space could seamlessly integrate into this domain.
With a thought, the Dream Space merged into the domain. Xu Yuan felt it, opened his eyes, and was quite shocked.
"I really feel like I can do anything."
He mobilized the power within his domain.
"Hundred percent boost? No, now I feel that as long as the power I possess is sufficient, I can increase the power of my soul skills indefinitely! The only factor limiting me is the efficiency of my soul skills in utilizing power."
Within the domain, Xu Yuan was the master.
No, to be precise, the domain that had fused with the Dream Space was no longer a pure domain.
"This space now belongs entirely to me and has transcended the concept of a domain."
Xu Yuan knew that the Martial Soul True Body would bring about a transformation, but he didn't expect his True Body to bring him such a huge surprise.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't that the Martial Soul True Body was extraordinary, but the effect of his True Body combined with the soul skills he mastered was extraordinary.
Without his development of transforming the Dream Space from virtual to reality, he wouldn't have been able to achieve this fusion. Similarly, if the True Body of the Brain Martial Soul hadn't been influenced by his cultivation and still appeared in its original form, he wouldn't even have this basic domain.
The domain ability wasn't the key; the true key was his special domain.
After experimenting with the capabilities of simply unfolding the True Body domain and the enhanced capabilities after integrating the Dream Space, and familiarizing himself with everything, he reluctantly stopped trying.
Canceling the Martial Soul True Body, as the domain contracted, an eye appeared on Xu Yuan's forehead.
"Already in spirit soul form, without soul bones, but after advancing to ten thousand years, it still coalesced an alternative external soul bone for me?" Xu Yuan felt an itch on his forehead, touched it, and understood what happened.
His consciousness sank into the sea of spirit, discovering a huge vertical pupil shadow floating above the sea of spirit.
However, as this vertical pupil shadow appeared, the entire sea of spirit resonated with him.
"This vertical pupil inherits the innate talents of the Evil Eye Tyrant, capable of resonating with the stars, treating my sea of spirit as a cosmic starry sky?"
As the sea of spirit resonated with the vertical pupil, Xu Yuan felt this vertical pupil rapidly evolving.
It was as if it had grown with the support of his entire sea of spirit.
"Let's call you the Starry Eye."
Having simply named this external soul bone eye, Xu Yuan realized he needed to give the new member a name.
"Your talent lies in resonating with the stars and borrowing stellar power. Let's call you Star Lord." (LOL)
The originally starlight-condensed spiritual orb of the Evil Eye Tyrant transformed into a miniature version of its true form. Its eighteen tentacles twitched slightly, seemingly acknowledging the title.
"Star Lord, hello." Yao Yao manifested her true form and showed a friendly expression.
When Xu Yuan first brought Star Lord back from the Spirit Pagoda, Yao Yao wasn't like this.
Back then, Yao Yao was almost scared by Star Lord's appearance.
Now, after Star Lord's complete mutation and evolution, its entire body was no longer the eerie black mist but a dazzling flow of starlight. Faint currents of electricity occasionally flashed, disregarding the eighteen tentacles—it was a refined work of art.
Even with the tentacles, it wasn't incongruous but rather made the overall stars and electricity more fluid.
"Hello."
As a wave of spiritual intent emitted from Star Lord's eye, a voice also appeared in Xu Yuan's and the other spirit souls' ears.
Huan Xing observed this new companion with an expression that said, "You're doomed."
Compared to the naive Yao Yao and the single-minded Jue, Huan Xing understood Xu Yuan's capitalist nature most thoroughly.
Although Xu Yuan hadn't started assigning tasks yet, Huan Xing had already seen Star Lord's potential.
Thunder power, the Thunder Tempering Method!
Right?
Huan Xing glanced at Xu Yuan, eyes filled with inquiry.
"Cough, Star Lord, you should first get familiar with your mutated abilities. If I'm not mistaken, during your recent tribulation, you should have simultaneously mutated to possess thunder attributes, right?"
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)